Lomita, California
Encyclopedia
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census. The word "lomita" is Spanish for "little knoll."

History

Lomita was originally part of Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...

, granted by the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....

 to Juan Jose Dominguez by King Carlos III of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 in 1784.

Lomita established a sister city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 relationship with Takaishi, Osaka
Takaishi, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of January 2010, the city has an estimated population of 59,813 and the density of 5,270 persons per km². The total area is 11.35 km².The city was founded on 1 November 1966.-External links:*...

, Japan in October 1981.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), all land.

Lomita originally spanned 7 square miles (18.1 km²). However, over time, much of this area was annexed by neighboring cities. A notable example is "Lomita Fields," now Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field
Zamperini Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Torrance, in Los Angeles County, California, United States....

 (the Torrance Municipal Airport).

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Lomita had a population of 20,256. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 10,601.3 people per square mile (4,093.2/km²). The racial makeup of Lomita was 11,987 (59.2%) White, 1,075 (5.3%) African American, 174 (0.9%) Native American, 2,923 (14.4%) Asian, 140 (0.7%) Pacific Islander, 2,680 (13.2%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1,277 (6.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,652 persons (32.8%).

The Census reported that 20,089 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 57 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 110 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 8,068 households, out of which 2,479 (30.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,409 (42.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 1,160 (14.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 481 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 491 (6.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....

, and 55 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,420 households (30.0%) were made up of individuals and 822 (10.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 5,050 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...

 (62.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.12.

The population was spread out with 4,378 people (21.6%) under the age of 18, 1,743 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 5,699 people (28.1%) aged 25 to 44, 5,904 people (29.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,532 people (12.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

There were 8,412 housing units at an average density of 4,402.5 per square mile (1,699.8/km²), of which 3,738 (46.3%) were owner-occupied, and 4,330 (53.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.4%. 9,183 people (45.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,906 people (53.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 20,046 people, 8,015 households, and 5,033 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 10,572.7 inhabitants per square mile (4,073.6/km²). There were 8,295 housing units at an average density of 4,375.0 per square mile (1,685.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.16% White, 4.18% African American, 0.70% Native American, 11.41% Asian, 0.52% Pacific Islander, 10.79% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 6.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.20% of the population.

There were 8,015 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,360, and the median income for a family was $53,003. Males had a median income of $41,582 versus $31,353 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $27,748. About 9.3% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

Fire protection in Lomita is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles County Fire Department
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including La Habra. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of...

 with ambulance transport by McCormack Ambulance.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...

 (LASD) operates the Lomita Station in Lomita.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...

 operates the Torrance Health Center in Harbor Gateway
Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, California
The Harbor Gateway is a neighborhood in southern part of the city of Los Angeles, California. As of the 2000 census, the neighborhood had a population of 39,860.-Description:...

, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, near Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...

 and serving Lomita.

In the state legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

 Lomita is located in the 28th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 District, represented by Democrat Ted Lieu
Ted Lieu
Ted W. Lieu is a Democratic Party California State Senator, who has represented the 28th Senate District since February 18, 2011, after being elected to fill the seat of deceased Senator Jenny Oropeza...

, and in the 53rd Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 District, represented by Democrat Betsy Butler
Betsy Butler
Betsy Butler is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat representing the 53rd district, encompassing parts of Los Angeles and the South Bay...

. Federally, Lomita is located in California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers most of the coastal communities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, El Segundo, Venice, Wilmington, and San Pedro in Greater Los Angeles.The...

, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...

 of D +11 and is represented by Democrat Jane Harman
Jane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....

.

The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 Lomita Post Office is located at 25131 Narbonne Avenue.

Landmarks

  • Lomita Railroad Museum
    Lomita Railroad Museum
    The Lomita Railroad Museum is a museum in Lomita, California devoted to California railroad history during the steam era.It was founded by Irene Lewis in the early 1960s on a single lot in the middle of a residential part of Lomita, and opened in 1966...

    , Opened in 1966 by Irene Lewis, the Lomita Railroad Museum is a small museum in Lomita devoted to the steam engine period of Railroading. Mrs Lewis, along with her husband Martin, operated "Little Engines of Lomita" which sold kits for live steam engine locomotives. Her engines also appeared in movies, including "The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)" and "Von Ryans Express (1965)". This operation inspired Mrs. Lewis to earn a mechanical engineering degree late in life and to build the museum as a showplace for her products. When built, the museum was the first of its kind west of Denver. The museum was designed to replicate the Boston & Maine's Greenwood Station in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The Museum was donated by Mrs. Lewis to the City of Lomita in honor of her late husband, Martin Lewis, in 1967. On display are a 1902 Baldwin Locomotive, a Southern Pacific tender, a 1910 Union Pacific caboose, and a Santa Fe caboose. The Museum also houses a full-size replica of a 1920s water tower that was constructed in 2000. The museum also incorporates a small public park, which accommodates a Union Pacific boxcar and a Union Oil tank car. The Museum is open Thursday through Sunday.

  • 5 Star Comics, Comic store owned by professional wrestler Rob Van Dam
    Rob Van Dam
    Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

    . He moved the store from Lakewood to Lomita. (Now closed)

Education

Lomita residents are within the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...

. The area is within Board District 7. As of 2008 Dr. Richard Vladovic represents the district.

Elementary schools that serve Lomita include:

All residents are zoned to:
  • Fleming Middle School
  • Narbonne High School
    Narbonne High School
    Nathaniel Narbonne High School is a school located at 24300 South Western Avenue, in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, California.Narbonne serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Narbonne serves the Harbor City area and the city of Lomita.Narbonne...

     (in Los Angeles)

Notable residents

  • Ted Lilly
    Ted Lilly
    Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...

    , Los Angeles Dodgers
    Los Angeles Dodgers
    The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

     pitcher
  • Descendents
    Descendents
    The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...

    , hardcore punk band
  • Jim Thorpe
    Jim Thorpe
    Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...

    , Native American
    Native Americans in the United States
    Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

     athlete
  • Chad Qualls
    Chad Qualls
    Chadford Michael Qualls is a relief pitcher.-Astros:Qualls was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. He began his career as a starting pitcher with the Michigan Battle Cats in...

    , San Diego Padres
    San Diego Padres
    The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

    pitcher

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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